Cultural Memory and Food Narrative in Yao Chicken

Abstract

Rooted in the migratory history of the Hakka people, traditional snacks in American Hakka families embody narratives of displacement, adaptation, and resilience, therefore becoming dynamic vessels of cultural memory, reflecting historical context during the periods of migration. This study takes a case study on Yao Chicken (salt-baked chicken), investigating it as a culinary symbol from the perspective of semiotics. It aims to explore how food functions as a signifier of local culture and how it contributes to the construction and dissemination of national cultural narratives. What’s more, it explores the anthropological and semiotic significance of Hakka cuisine, by imagining them as cultural memory and food narrative of Hakka people. In the end, it argues that Yao Chicken not only nourishes their biological organism, but also constructs their social and cultural identity. It marks the group that an eater belongs to and defines the otherness of a different group. Therefore, it becomes a tactile archive, preserving not only flavors but also the sociohistorical conditions that have shaped Hakka identity.